Gift box sizes: a size chart for custom gift boxes, with real prices

The right gift box sizes start from the product: its own size plus about a quarter inch on each side, so pick by what goes inside, not from a stock list. A 4 x 4 x 2 inch box suits a ring or earrings, 6 x 6 x 2 inches a small skincare set, 9 x 7 x 3 inches a two- or three-piece gift, and 12 x 10 x 5 inches a hamper or press kit.

Below is a gift box size chart built from real products, with what each size costs from us at 100, 250, 500 and 1,000 boxes, how to measure for your own, and when to order if the boxes have to be ready for the holidays.

Gift box size chart, what goes inside

These are common sizes for a two-piece gift box (a lid that lifts off a base). Every price is from our own model for a full-color printed box with no finish, priced on the exact dimensions shown.

Two things worth noticing. Going from 100 to 250 boxes cuts the unit price by more than a third at every size, because the setup is shared across more boxes. And the price stops falling at about 500, since past that point you're paying for board, ink, and freight, which don't shrink.

How size changes the price

Bigger boxes cost more, but not in proportion to their size. A 12 x 10 x 5 inch box has about four times the board of a 6 x 6 x 2 inch box and costs a little under twice as much at 250 ($6.40 against $3.43). Setup and handling are part of every box, whatever its size.

That cuts both ways. Choosing a box an inch too high costs little on the box itself. It costs more later: a loose product needs filler, and an oversized box can push the shipping bill up through dimensional weight if the gift box travels inside a carton.

Small gift box sizes

Small gift boxes are the easiest to order too big.

• Gift cards. A card is 3.375 x 2.125 inches. A 5 x 4 x 1 inch box leaves room for a card holder or a folded note without the card sliding around.
• Jewelry. A 4 x 4 x 2 inch box takes a ring box, a pair of earrings on a card, or a slim bracelet. For a necklace on a card, go longer rather than deeper. Our page on gift boxes for jewelry covers the insert options.
• Small sets. Two or three small bottles or a soap and a balm fit in 6 x 6 x 2 inches with an insert holding them apart.

Under about 4 inches, a printed pillow box or a small tuck carton is often the better buy. A two-piece box at that size is mostly lid.

Medium and large gift box sizes

The 9 x 7 x 3 inch box is the most flexible size on the chart. It takes a two- or three-piece set, a candle with a matching item, or a subscription-style gift. Gift boxes for candles usually land here or at 5 x 5 x 5 inches for a single jar.

Apparel needs length more than depth. A folded shirt or scarf sits well in 12 x 9 x 3 inches; a sweater wants 4 inches of depth instead.

For hampers and press kits, 12 x 10 x 5 inches and up, size the box to the arrangement, not to the biggest item. Lay everything out on a table in the order you want it seen, measure the footprint, and add the insert.

How to measure for a custom gift box size

1. Measure the product in inches, length, width, and depth, at its widest points. Our guide to how to measure a box shows which side is which.
2. Add the insert or tissue. Tissue paper adds very little; a card insert or a foam tray adds its own thickness all round.
3. Add about a quarter inch on each side for a snug fit. A tight fit looks deliberate. A loose one rattles.
4. Give us the inside dimensions. We cut the box to them; the outside follows from the board.
5. Check with a sample if the fit is close. A sample pack costs $9.95 in shipping and is credited back on your first order.

A worked example: a candle holiday set

Say you make candles and you're putting together a holiday set: one jar, a box of matches, and a small thank-you card. Your jar measures 3 inches across and 3.5 inches tall. The matches are 2 x 1.5 x 0.5 inches.

Lay them out side by side, and the group is about 5.5 inches long and 3 inches wide, with the jar setting the height at 3.5 inches. Add a quarter inch all around and an insert to hold the jar upright, and you land near 6.5 x 4 x 4 inches inside. That's smaller than the 9 x 7 x 3 inch box on the chart above. It's cheaper too, and the jar can't slide around. Put the card flat under the lid, and it adds almost nothing.

That's the whole method. Measure what's really going in, arrange it the way you want it opened, and size the box to that, not to a number on someone else's list.

How deep should a gift box be?

Depth is the dimension people guess at, and it's where most fit problems come from. Too shallow and the lid sits proud, or won't close over tissue. Too deep and a flat item drops to the bottom of a big space.

• Flat items (cards, scarves, jewelry on a card): 1 to 2 inches is usually plenty.
• Jars, bottles, and mugs: the item's height plus about half an inch for the insert and the lid.
• Mixed sets: size the depth to the tallest item, then raise the shorter ones on the insert so everything sits level when the lid comes off.

Client and employee gift boxes

Some holiday gift boxes are never sold. They go to clients, partners, and staff. The sizing rules don't change, but two things do.

First, the box is often mailed to someone's home or office, so it needs a shipping box around it. Size the gift box first, then the outer box about an inch bigger each way, with paper filling the gap. Second, the box usually holds a mix of things from different suppliers: a mug, some coffee, a notebook. Get every item in hand, or at least the exact dimensions, before you order. A mug that turns out half an inch taller than the listing said is exactly how a corporate gift box ends up not closing.

If several items go in one box, a custom box insert holds each one in place and is usually cheaper than moving up a box size to stop them shifting.

Gift box, rigid box, or sleeve?

A size chart only helps once the format is right.

• [Two-piece gift box](/custom/gift-boxes) (what this chart prices): a lid that lifts off, room for ribbon, about $4.32 for 9 x 7 x 3 inches at 250.
• Rigid box: thicker, wrapped board that feels heavier in the hand and costs more, about $5.06 for a medium box at 250. Our guide to custom rigid boxes covers when that's worth it.
• Sleeve box: a tray that slides out of a printed band, useful if you want holiday artwork on a box you sell all year. See custom packaging sleeves.

If the gift box ships on its own, put it inside a mailer. A gift box is built to be handed over, and its lid isn't made to survive a mail sorter.

When to order gift boxes for the holidays

For gifts that have to arrive by December 25, the USPS 2026 holiday mailing dates (opens in a new tab) recommend sending by December 17 for Ground Advantage and December 18 for Priority Mail within the lower 48.

Work back from that. You need the boxes on your packing table before your own customers order, so count back from the start of your holiday sales, not from December 17. Allow time for artwork, one or two rounds of proofs, 3 to 5 days on press after you approve the proof, and then transit to you. For Black Friday on November 27, 2026, or a holiday market the week after Thanksgiving, aim to approve artwork in the first days of November. Small Business Saturday on November 28 matters to a lot of local shops, and that weekend is the last time you want to run out of boxes.

Common gift box sizing mistakes

• Sizing to the product and forgetting the insert. The insert has thickness, and a box sized without it won't close.
• Ordering one size per product. It feels tidy and costs more. Our list of first packaging order mistakes covers why over-splitting a first order hurts.
• Measuring the outside of an old box. Board thickness means the inside is smaller. Measure the product.
• Choosing soft touch for a box handled a lot. It marks where it's rubbed. Our guide to packaging finishes compares the options.

Key takeaways

• Pick a gift box size from what goes inside: the product plus about a quarter inch each side, plus any insert.
• Common gift box sizes run from 4 x 4 x 2 inches for jewelry to 12 x 10 x 5 inches for a hamper.
• A 9 x 7 x 3 inch box is about $4.32 at 250 and $3.05 at 500; the unit price stops falling at about 500.
• Two well-chosen sizes with inserts usually beat five sizes, on price and on stock.
• For holiday gifts, USPS recommends sending by December 17 (Ground Advantage), so order boxes well before.

Common questions